Evangelical Community Church of Blue Island

12/05/2023

Decorated for Christmas and snapped a few pictures🎄Join us on Sundays at 9:30am, we’d love to have you! All are welcome!

11/13/2021

Join us for our weekly worship service this Sunday, Nov. 14, at 9:30 am.

07/25/2020

From the Pastor’s Desk
July 22, 2020
Church Fellowship

I heard a preacher once tell about how he met his wife. After they were introduced, she said, “Where do you go to church?” And he said, “I don’t go to church. You don’t have to go to church to be a good Christian.” And she sweetly replied, “Yes, you do.” He said it was as if he’d been knocked over by a feather. She had rebuked me so gently and so easily yet with bold confidence. Deep down I knew she was right. So, let’s look into the subject. Is coming to church and fellowshipping with like minded believers really that important? The answer, of course, is yes.
First of all, let’s take a look at who we should not be associating with. 2 Cor 6: 14-15 says, “14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” The Bible also says in 1 Cor 15: 33 “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” So, Christians are to live lives that are in the world but not of the world. This is a bit tricky. Is God telling us here to have no association with people who do not believe? No, not at all. If we as Christians isolated ourselves from those who do not claim Christ, how will the Gospel be spread? We have to intermingle with all kinds of people while holding to our Christian beliefs at all times and sharing them as well. I still have friends from high school who are not Christians. Yet, some of them have become Christians over the years through our relationship. What God is talking about here is becoming influenced by people who do not believe and then partaking in their sin. The classic example is marrying a non-believer. This passage commands that if we are to become joined to a spouse, they must be a fellow believer. Otherwise, we will fall just like King Solomon did with his 700 wives and 300 concubines. As the scriptures say in 1 Kings 11:4 “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”
This means that we as Christians, if we are to grow and become strong in the Lord, need a refuge; a shelter in the storm, where we become close to people who believe like we do. Hebrews 10:25 says, “25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
There is no question that people need to associate with one another. People like to gather for all kinds of reasons, be it parades, picnics or parties. Best friends or true lovers; we need to fellowship with other people. But the Apostles knew ahead of time that not all people groups were going to be healthy. In fact, just being alone is not very healthy. No, we need a group of committed Christians that we can call our church. People who will pull us up closer to Christ instead of drag us down and constantly tempt us. So, don’t think that you don’t need to go to church, because you are going to be associating with somebody and that’s going to affect your relationship with Christ. We all need our batteries re-charged with spiritual power that can come only from a church that preaches the Bible. And, as Billy Graham used to say, “Be sure and go to church this Sunday.”
Amen and Amen

Pastor Monte

07/16/2020

From the Pastor’s Desk
July 15, 2020
Pull Over!

If you were to look at my driving record you would find that there is one single violation on it. Just about a year ago I was sighted for breaking “Scott’s law”. I was going north on the 294 expressway and traffic was very light. I came upon a service truck stopped in an adjacent lane and I simply drove around it. Suddenly, I saw in my rear-view mirror, the flashing lights of a patrol car and before I knew it, I was being pulled over. I honestly could not figure out why I was being pulled over. I knew I wasn’t speeding. Another rather surprising thing was that the officer did not walk up to the driver’s side window as I expected. He went to the passenger window. Why would he do that? I rolled down the passenger window and I said, “Is there a problem Officer?” And then he told me all about Scott’s law. He told me many officers are hurt or even killed by drivers who veer too close to stopped vehicles as they drive by. He also explained that officers now approach from the passenger side for the same safety reason. He told me that I had failed to get completely over in the other lane as I drove around the service truck and was, therefor, guilty of breaking Scott’s law. I thought, “What? This is all news to me. I’ve never heard of this law.” Was I out of touch or what?
Then he asked for my driver’s license, registration and insurance information and went back to the patrol car. He was gone for a long time; at least a half an hour. As I waited, I was getting angry. It all seemed so unfair. I did not intentionally break any law. When he came back, I said in a calm measured tone, “What in the world were you doing? I’ve never seen a police officer move as slowly as you do.” I don’t suppose that comment helped my situation any. He then told me that, for this particular offense, I couldn’t just pay the fine but that I was required to appear in court. He told me my court date, gave me my ticket and drove off. How much do you think that ticket cost me; a first-time offender and all?
$300
A huge fine and the inconvenience of a court date. It just seemed so unfair to be so penalized for a law I didn’t even know existed.
It took me a long time to get over that. But, today, I can honestly say that I’m better off because of it. I understand the importance of this law and I understand a little better the danger officers face every time they pull someone over. I’ve also learned to speak politely to police officers; to disagree as courteously as possible.
The Bible speaks to the issue of how Christians should respond in difficult situations. One such passage is in Proverbs 15:1 which says,
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Replying with a gentle answer is not always easy. We often say things we don’t really mean when we are angry and those words can make matters worse. Many times, we need to stop and pray before responding. Ask the Lord to help us see the situation from the other persons perspective. And ask Him to give us the right attitude and the right words or to help us simply be still.
A close companion to the discipline of guarding our speech is the teaching to respect authority. Both 1 Peter 2: 13-17 and Romans 13: 1-7 tell us to respect and obey those God has placed in authority over us. If we do, we will be a better witness for Christ and, just maybe, owe the county a lot less money.
Another take away from this is that ignorance of the law is no defense in the physical world or in the spiritual world. Scott’s law had been well publicized. I just hadn’t paid attention. The same is true with God’s laws. You can’t expect to know them if you don’t read your Bible. Ignorance of the Word can be very costly indeed. Even to the expense of our very souls.

Amen and Amen.

Pastor Ballard

07/16/2020

From the Pastor’s Desk
July 8, 2020
Anger

Anger is one of the most ignored elements found in scripture. The mention of God’s anger in the Old Testament is quite frequent. Deuteronomy 9:8, Exodus 32: 10-11 and Numbers 11: 1-2 to name only a few. Hard to believe that such a visceral response as retribution and vengeance were commended and even commanded to most of the leaders of Israel. Look at Joshua 6:21 and his command to destroy everything that breathed in the promised land. While in the New Testament such behavior is chastised. We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves and forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. Why the inconsistency?
Why did God construct his old and new covenants in such a divergent manner? Well, I don’t have time to go into all the various theories except to say that in the Old Testament, God had to establish Israel by force. If Israel had not defended themselves in the Old Testament, they would have been wiped out long, long ago.
While in the New Testament God wants his people not to live by force but by love and by the Holy Spirit. This pacifism in the New Testament and in the words of Jesus clearly tell us not to retaliate and to turn the other cheek as we see in the following verses.
Matt 5:24-26 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Matt 6: 14-15 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Jesus Christ sounds pretty serious about forgiveness, and realizes the, “turning the other cheek” every time is not easy. Well, easy or not, that is what he asks from us. We see in Matthew 18: 21-22
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
One more issue I would like to address. I do believe in law and order and in a strong, well equipped police force for the purpose of controlling law breakers. I believe that Jesus, in his passages on pacifism, was referring to personal insult, not public security. And let’s not forget national security and our armed forces, our heroes in the military. Where would our country be without them?
P.S. I must confess that it is very easy to be a forgiver in a church that is as friendly and forgiving as this one. I apologize for the several church services I have missed. I was hampered by the virus and my own personal health. I hope and pray we have a lot to look forward to in our future.

Monte and Linda

07/16/2020

From the Pastor’s Desk
July 1, 2020
Leading by Example

I try not to mix politics in with our Christian faith, but in these last months, governmental issues have become everyone’s concern. There is a lesson I have learned through all this recent turmoil, and that is that when words don’t help, we must try another approach. I believe it is a very good lesson and I actually learned it from our President. He didn’t announce ahead of time what he was going to do, but he decided he would lead by example. Allow me to explain what I mean.
First, in the debate over hydroxychloroquine, the President effectively silenced the objections about the possible risks of using the drug by taking it himself. He believed that it could help those infected with COVID19. After he had taken it for 5 days with no ill effects, he revealed this to the public. He knew that actions speak louder than words.
On a similar note, our President has been pushing to “open up America”, to get people out and their lives back to normal. Not an easy task. So, he decided to be one of the first ones to step out. He recently held a major rally and once again led by example.
Leading by example is extremely important. And the Bible is full of stories like this. King David rarely asked anything of his men that he wouldn’t do himself. As a youth, he faced the giant, Goliath when the rest of Israel’s army was quaking in fear. Also, David chose to live the life of a fugitive rather than disobey what he believed was God’s will. When King Saul was hunting David relentlessly without just cause, David could have killed Saul on more than one occasion and effectively ended his own persecution. But David chose to suffer and live hand to mouth rather than usurp the will of God. His men shared that life with David. They chose to follow his example.
In Nehemiah 13 we discover that Nehemiah would tolerate no sin. On his return to Jerusalem he found that the temple was ill-used and neglected. The Levites and singers were not getting their share of the provisions. The Jewish people were habitually breaking the Sabbath, and the Jewish men had married foreign women. All of these things were against God’s law. Nehemiah had a big job ahead of him. He might have been tempted to let some of it slide instead of face the push-back. But he didn’t. He confronted the people with their sin and worked quickly and intensely to cleanse the land. He led by example, and for a time, the people followed.
Who can forget Joshua and his powerful declaration in chapter 24:15. This particular verse, by the way, is my favorite.
15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
And, of course our ultimate example to follow is the Lord Jesus himself. His was a life of self-sacrifice. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who could have had a golden throne and lived in comfort and ease, said of his life in Luke 9: 58
“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
But, of course, his greatest act of leading by example was that of being willing to lay down his life for others because it was his Father’s will. Jesus said in John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this: than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
We may not be called upon to lay down our physical life as others have done. But we are called to die to ourselves; our selfishness (Matt 16:25). We are called to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). This is the example set for us by Jesus. He has shown us the way. Let’s follow his example.

Yours in Christ

Pastor Monte

06/28/2020

From The Pastor’s Desk
June 24, 2020
I recall watching a police drama in which the hero had his victim cornered and the apprehended man wanted to seem as nonchalant as possible. He said, “You know, men ought to be more like fine wine; fermenting with age and mellowing over the years. But not Johnson here. Johnson is the one constant in an ever-changing universe.” Although this man’s carefree attitude and words did not keep him from being arrested, I was impressed by his phrase about the one constant in an ever-changing universe. That’s a very profound statement. All of life, as well as the sun and moon and stars, are changing and will continue to change. Yet God never changes.
We, ourselves are changing almost daily and our lives do not stay the same. No one knows, with certainty, where we will be tomorrow or what our lives will be like. Will we be unexpectedly blessed? Will we suffer a devastating loss? We may lose a spouse. It’s a crazy, mixed-up world and it is we who have to adjust to it. Yet God never changes.
Let me give you a Biblical example of what I’m talking about. Even though I quoted Job last week I would like to reference him again. Job, in chapter 1 immediately looses all his possessions. His oxen and donkeys were stolen. He lost his sheep and servants. The Chaldeans carried off his camels. All ten of his sons and daughters were killed in one fell swoop. All in one day. Yet, Job’s response is impeccable. “Naked I came into this world and naked I will depart. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” A little while later he was afflicted with painful boils over his whole body from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. I don’t know of anyone, who wouldn’t rather die than live through that. So, there he was. The tide had turned against him. At that point, he had no idea what the future held; more affliction, perhaps redemption. He didn’t know. But he did know his redeemer. Job says in chapter 19:25
“I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth”

Also, let’s not forget that God is a God who answers prayer. And God did! The Bible says that the Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. His health was restored, and the Lord gave him twice as much wealth as he had before. He was given ten more children; seven sons and three very beautiful daughters. And he got to enjoy all this for 140 years. He saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.
My point here is that our world, just like Job’s world, will always be constantly fluctuating. Yes, it is an unpredictable world where anything can happen but God does not change. Unusual, isn’t it, to live with a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever? Luke 18:7-8 says: And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
So then, what’s our perspective on life supposed to be? That no matter what happens, be it pandemics or riots, God does not change and we can trust him. Will he find faith on the earth?
Yours in Christ,

Pastor Monte

06/16/2020

From the Pastor’s Desk
June 17 2020
During my devotional time this week I came across one of my favorite old verses. Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
I’ve always been amazed at Habakkuk’s incredible faith. He was able to speak those words during the fall of Israel with all the famine, death and destruction. I’m not sure how many of us would react that way.
There have been some people who have really reached out during our current crises. Last Monday my wife and I went out to lunch at Country House Restaurant. As we talked with the manager, I was amazed that they had been so generous to the community while they, themselves, were losing money. We also felt his frustration at those who would not let him open for indoor serving, but yet let many other similar businesses open right up. How would you feel?
Well, I’ve been asked that and I’ve asked myself the same question. What if something terrible happened and wiped out our savings? I’ve always wondered how I would react. Have I been trusting in money instead of trusting in God? If there is anything good about the COVID pandemic it’s that most of us are getting pushed beyond our comfort zones and finding out just who we really are. I guess I’d say that when it looked like things could go either way, I had a peace about that. I thought that if I could just keep my wife happy, I would always be a rich man. I’m not trying to be noble, but that’s how I felt.
And you all out there, members of our church, I’m sure did some introspection yourselves.
I know what you are thinking, “What about Job?” And you’re right. He is the epitome of losing everything, even his health. and yet saying these famous words. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
So please, in the midst of all the hardship many of you are going through right now, keep your focus on what the Word says in Luke 10: 27.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
Yours in Christ
Pastor Monte

06/11/2020

Grey Areas 6-7-20

06/11/2020

From the Pastor’s Desk
June 10, 2020
Anger
This week in our own communities, we have seen anger erupt and spread across our entire nation. This is the worst kind of anger. It is a violent anger. It is directed at the country in which we all live. It will accomplish absolutely nothing. After this is over, we won’t be any better off than we were before. In fact, we will probably be worse off.
But my intention today is not to talk about just the riots, but about anger of many kinds and how they fit into our faith in Jesus Christ. We will start small and build up to the more severe cases of anger.
When I was a child of about 8 years old, I was a regular attender of the YMCA. Unfortunately for me, some other guy had taken to bulling me. I was absolutely terrified. When I told my Dad about it, he said, “You know what your going to do? The next time you go to the Y I don’t want you to talk or say Hi to anyone but walk straight up to that guy as fast as you can and hit him right in the mouth”. I objected. Dad, I couldn’t. Not right in front of everybody! What if I miss and he gets me? All he said was just, “Do it or you will be a coward the rest of your life.” So, the following week, my Mom drove me to the Y and she was white as a ghost; so was I. I was shaking in the car. And she said, “Go get it over with.” She later said that dropping me off was the hardest thing she ever did.
So, I walked into the Y and I was ready. My knees were knocking as if there was no tomorrow. But I looked and looked and couldn’t find the bully. He wasn’t there. But I was on pure adrenalin. Something had to give. At that moment, another guy brushed past me and said, “Get out of my way.” And I hit him right in the mouth. I think the bully must have heard about that incident because he never showed up again.
I’m not saying that what I did was right but my Dad knew what my future would be if I didn’t. Was it self-defense? Was it Christ-like? Probably not. But I will say this, though Jesus said to turn the other cheek, a young boy has to establish his own ego before he can move on.
As we reach adulthood, the temptation is to retaliate in a more verbal style. This can be difficult. Adults argue all the time, even in churches. As adults we must vigilantly control our anger. The Bible says in Proverbs 15: 1,
“A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

And James 1: 19-20 says,
My beloved brothers, understand this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.

We should ask ourselves, am I a person who can take abuse and not retaliate? I pray we are. I believe God will give us the strength not to retaliate when those times come. And we can always work on getting better and better at not retaliating.
I’m not saying all decisions regarding retaliation are this simple. What about the riots, the National Guard, the behavior of the press, the lashing back of the President? I think we all need work on this one. So, lets hold off on the criticism until we’ve proven that we, ourselves, can take the pressure.
May God be with us all and fill us with his love.
Amen

06/01/2020